Noveske Chainsaw Build, Final Chapter

Noveske Chainsaw Build

It feels like it's been years since my last post. In the last few months I've moved out of the great Northwest and resettled in the middle of the country. I assembled the rifle in my last few days before the move and I've had minimal trigger time since (read about 200-300 rds). I'll give you a snapshot of my initial impressions, and update it once I get to a suitable range in the area. 

I chose the SWFA 1x4-24 Scope for this rifle, I've had it on several other rifles and I just can't say enough good things about this scope. The weight of the scope balances well on the rifle and I enjoy carrying this gun a lot more than my Robinson XCR's while scoped. I was initially running 30rd P-Mags, but I've since switched to the 20rd P-Mags, I like the lower profile and reduced weight, and I find that 20rds is plenty for my shooting style... and 20 rounds helps to keep me from dumping mags as quickly while firing...

I stuck with the Mag-Pull standard furniture, I really debated putting the more expensive furniture options on this rifle, but I couldn't see any stellar benefits over the standard offerings, YMMV. I did add the BAD lever as well as the Noveske branded Raptor charging handle and Noveske QD end plate. I really like the Raptor charging handle, it's expensive, but it's well built, solid and functional. I've got the BCM Gunfighter on my other rifle, and after using both I prefer the Raptor by a slim margin.

I had a previously used Battle Comp 2.0 compensator from another rifle sitting in the safe, so I installed it rather than buying something new. I've used to the Battle Comp on several rifles and I like it's muzzle rise mitigation as well as the flash reduction. It performed really well on this Noveske, my muzzle rise is quite minimal, and it is pleasant to shoot for both the shooter and other folks beside me on the range.

The VLTOR A-5 recoil buffer system was an outstanding purchase. You get a really manageable recoil that cycles reliably every time. I don't have a lot of rounds down range with this rifle yet, but I've yet to have a FTF or FTE with this gun (This includes both moving and stationary courses of fire). This buffer system is well worth the money, and does exactly what it's designed to do. I noticed a marked difference between my standard M-4 style rifle and the Noveske, the felt recoil is very smooth and controlled. So much so that I had very little trouble performing double taps on target through the optic at magnification.

Note: the A-5 System is not magic, do not buy this recoil buffer expecting your rifle to fire as seen in movies, the internet, or in video games, you will be disappointed. Proper shooting stance, and practice will do much more for recoil mitigation in my opinion.  In order for your rifle to cycle reliably in the worst of conditions you need the recoil buffer to do it's job, and that means you'll feel some of the inertia as the empty casing is removed from the chamber, ejected and a new round striped from the magazine and loaded into the chamber. The A-5 dampens this recoil, it is properly weighted to allow the recoil buffer to cycle completely without slamming into the rear of the rifle while extracting the round, or slam into the front of the rifle while inserting a new round into the chamber. The other specialized recoil buffers that greatly reduce felt recoil, and make the rifle feel like shooting a .22LR are great for competition or the range, but should be evaluated for real world use. You can think of the concept in simplified terms of a scale, on one end you have felt recoil, and on the other you have reliable cycling. In most cases (but not all, and this is very simplified) the lower the felt recoil, the lower the reliability of completing a cycle, the higher the felt recoil, the higher the reliability of completing a cycle. You must balance between the two, and often times you when you have a highly reliable cycling rifle, you can smooth the felt recoil of the rifle somewhat, without sacrificing reliable cycling. This is what the A-5 does, it smooths the cycle and reduces the amount of slamming forward and back that the user experiences each time the rifle cycles, it isn't a magical pill for eliminating felt recoil.

My initial requirement for this project was a rifle that was a simple, reliable, lightweight and accurate. The Noveske fits the bill quite well, the NSR handguard has a very low profile and the rifle points well and feels balanced in the hand.

I gave the Noveske lightweight stainless barrel a rattle can black coat of paint to prevent rust. It isn't the prettiest or most durable of coatings but this rifle is meant to be used, and I just don't care that much about how the barrel looks on the outside... with barrels, it's the inside that counts. The Noveske stainless barrels are well know for their accuracy, and this one is no exception. The rifle is capable of some very consistent accuracy, and even with mil-surp ammo I can get some commendable groupings.

Note: I've read online that stainless barrels only last about half as long as a chrome lined barrel does... I see very little real substantiated proof to this claim and I also don't see the average shooter shooting even close to the amount of ammo required to shoot a barrel out (Somewhere around 15,000-30,000 rounds is the claim). I'm not worried about ever wearing my barrel out, and IF I was, I'd first need to buy about $8000+ worth of .223... if I can afford to shoot that much ammo regularly... I can afford an extra barrel...or even an extra gun.

The Mag-well is a bit tight for my P-Mags and just right for my aluminum mags, this will loosen up over time and I'm pleased with the fit and function of the Noveske parts. This gun is a pleasure to shoot, it's almost boring in how reliably it functions. The felt recoil and muzzle rise are easily manageable for fast follow-up shots and acquisition of follow-on targets. It's difficult not to perform mag-dumps, or rapid fire sessions with this gun, it shoots so smoothly that you want to open it up and let it run. During the break-in process I got bored with punching the same hole in the paper target over an over again, and I did perform a back to back mag dump to break up the monotony and test how hot the NSR handguard would get. I'm happy to report that the rifle never missed a beat, it digested the two mags without trouble, I was able to stay on target the entire time and the handguard got as warm as something that had been left out in the sun on a summer afternoon.

In conclusion: The Noveske rifle is everything it claims to be. I really enjoy shooting and carrying this rifle, and it certainly turns some heads when shooting at the range. Depending on your shooting style and experience, this may not be the gun for you, I spent somewhere around 3k (Not including the optic and mount) to build this rifle. There are cheaper and more readily available AR-15 platforms that make much more sense for the average shooter, but if you want the pleasure of shooting a top of the line rifle, and you want to build it from the ground up, you wont be disappointed if you spend the money here. I liked building this one so much that I'm already planning my next build....

Noveske NSR Rail Polymer Accessory Rail Cover Proper Installation Guide

Noveske NSR Rail Polymer Accessory Rail Cover Proper Installation Guide

These rail covers from Noveske can be difficult or impossible to install if you don't take it slow and smooth. I'll guide you through a painless install that doesn't result in mangled rail pieces or damage to your rail. 

Note- If you have a hammer/mallet out for this project.... PUT IT AWAY! You do not need a hammer. I've seen too many Youtube videos where people are using hammers to install these rail covers. Why would you use a hammer to install $10 pieces of plastic on a $280 rail. I didn't break even a single piece of plastic, and I never needed more than a little force to put these rail covers on. 

I only used one tool for this install and it was the black craftsman interchangeable socket driver pictured above, I removed the screw driver bit and it worked perfectly for what I needed.  I read horror stories online about people ordering three sets of panels because two sets got mangled in the install process, or that it took individuals 45 min to an hour to get these installed. This whole install should take you no more than 5 min. (Mine took a little longer because I kept playing with the panel placement to see what configuration I liked best.)

This is the underside of the polymer rail section, it has the "Lug" which slides into the KeyMod hole, and the locking tab at the rear. Notice that the slit at the base of the lug is angled to match the interior of your KeyMod rail slot. Spend a minute exploring how the piece fits and you'll realize that if you're forcing it onto the rail... it's because it isn't inserted properly.

In order to be installed properly, the lug needs to be flush with the surface of the rail, this is where I used my craftsman interchangeable socket driver. I used it to push firmly on top of the lug until it was flush with the rail.

The Lug is in the KeyMod hole, but the locking tab is not. Firm pressure on the lug will allow you to slide the piece forward into the slot as designed.

As I apply firm pressure to the lug portion I use my other hand to wiggle/push the polymer section forward in the KeyMod hole. Apply the firm pressure until the lug is flush with the rail, this isn't a strength contest, don't press so hard that you can't slide the polymer section forward.

After you've pressed on the lug and slid the polymer piece forward just a bit you will notice that you can remove the pressure and the lug will remain flush, once you get to this point you can push the lug the rest of the way forward without the downward pressure. If you find it difficult to move the rail forward, add the downward pressure again as you wiggle/push. Wiggle/push the piece forward until the locking tabs are flush with the rail. This is a very simple process!

The other sections are the same, if you are fighting the polymer sections, or grunting in exertion, you have something amiss. I found it easiest to slide the polymer section back off the rail and try again in this case. The first time I tried inserting this section pictured above, I didn't have all the lugs flush with the rail, and I was getting a lot of resistance when sliding the piece forward. Just stop, push the piece back, and try it again. These rail sections are very tight and can require some finesse, but forcing the pieces will result in broken pieces and bruised knuckles.

Applying a little pressure to slide the rail section forward, first one side....

Then the other....

Hopefully this has helped, or at least proved that these rail section covers aren't junk as touted by other online opinions. Yes, they are harder to install than Magpul XTM panels, but I didn't find anything overly burdensome or difficult during this install.

I ordered two sets and it left me with just the right amount of rail coverage. The panels fit tightly on the rail and don't add unnecessary bulk. They seem well made and a perfect addition to your Noveske NSR Rail.

Note - Good luck finding these in stock in the color that you want. Just bite the bullet and realize that with FDE and Black colors always sold out... Foliage Green may be in your future....

Noveske Chainsaw Build Part Two (Noveske (VLTOR) MUR Upper, NSR 13.5 Rail and Noveske LW SS Barrel)

Noveske Chainsaw Build Part Two 

The skies opened and cherubs carrying coffers of cash sprung forth, to fund my Noveske Chainsaw build....

No... not really... I sold some things and used the profits to fund my habits...

This build got expensive fast, I want to use quality parts and I prefer to keep it as close to the Noveske line as possible. I'm not building a trick rifle, or a mall ninja wall hanger, I'm just building a solid rifle and I've purchased tasteful upgrades as I saw fit.

I've assembled the lower using the Stag LPK and I think the trigger is pretty nice for a mil-spec trigger, no grittiness, minimal creep and all the parts assemble and lock up nice and tight. This is the first lower I've assembled and it was much easier than the online guides led me to believe. I took all the tips that they suggested and I didn't have a stray hammer mark or ding throughout the whole process. I put everything together sitting on my couch watching TV with a slab of 2X4 on my lap, some painters tape to cover surfaces and an old claw hammer (I still cannot find my machinist's hammer). I did find that a good sized Tupperware container to hold all the tiny parts is indispensable to this build.  Any angry beaver can put a lower together.

I ordered a VLTOR A5 receiver extension and buffer kit, I've read plenty of reviews online where people liked the smoothness that it imparted to the recoil, so I took the plunge and bought one. I've never had any experience with VLTOR until this build, and their parts/components look to be very well made. Snake oil?... too early to tell... but if it is, at least it's well made snake oil.

This Noveske MUR (Modular Upper Receiver) with forward assist was garnered from Gunbroker because no-one has any in stock online (With no restock date in sight). This is a chainsaw marked upper, and as such it has some minor cosmetic blemishes which don't bother me in the least. It looks well built and it should pair well with my NSR keymod rail.

Chainsaw!

The Noveske line of barrels are not for the light of wallet, and I paid an arm and a leg for this stainless lightweight profile 16 inch barrel. I figured if I was going to build a chainsaw, I might at least use the barrel that helped make Noveske famous. The upside is that it comes with a rock solid pinned low profile gas block and mid-length gas tube, so you don't need to purchase those separately.

Note: Do your own research about barrels, don't believe 90% of what you read, and if you can afford it and you want it.... buy it. It's a barrel and it won't last forever, but it will most likely last a very long time unless you abuse it. Most of what you read on the internet forums is pure hearsay, the "My brother-in-law who is a contractor said that his best buddy had a stainless Noveske barrel that was shot out after one carbine class" comments are rampant, pay them no heed.

The Noveske NSR rail came very well packaged and it looks really nice and feels really light.... that's all I have to say about it until I've got it installed.

The iron cross branding is a nice touch... some would say that this is the reason that Noveske products command such a high price... I don't disagree that this is a big part of the Noveske charm, but I think the no gimmicks, reliable gear that Noveske produces is also pretty desirable.

I still have some work to do before I end up with a complete  rifle, but now I have most of the major parts and the others are on their way. I'll do a follow-up (Part Three) in a week or so when I get everything assembled.

Noveske Chainsaw N4 Lower

It's nearing the holiday season and I've gotten one of my presents early...

I picked up a Noveske Chainsaw N4 Gen I lower receiver at Rainier Arms LLC. to put in the back of the safe for a rainy day. I'll source a Gen I or MUR Noveske chainsaw upper as they come available, and I'll decide on barrel options at a later date.

As always it's difficult to dispute the quality of Noveske components, and even if you're not a fan you'd still be hard pressed to say that they don't make a proven reliable rifle. I've never built an AR-15, but I've fired enough of them to know what features I prefer and there are a multitude of online resources to guide me through every aspect of the build. I won't need to do any machining, drilling or tapping, so I can assemble a rifle here at home without expensive specialized tools. 

The Chainsaw branding is due to a blemish in the finish, the blemish on my lower can be seen faintly near the Noveske Iron Cross symbol. I'm used to old badly beaten mil-surp rifles and this would pass as "pristine" if found on a FN/FAL or AK, in fact, if I didn't know that I was buying the "chainsaw" lower, I would never have even noticed. The critical tolerances, fit and machining of this lower is guaranteed to be no different than that of a non-blemished lower, and I saved 15 bucks in the process. (Plus I kinda dig the Chainsaw branding under the trigger guard)

This is a N4 lower, vice the newer Gen II lowers which sport the flared magwell and solid trigger guard. I wasn't keen on the Gen II's hefty price tag... and they were out of stock at the time so... I came home with a N4 Mil-spec type lower. It's a great deal on a lower, and now that I have the lower receiver on-hand, I can buy whatever components online and complete a rifle. 

I picked up a Stag Arms lower parts kit (LPK), some non-scientific research resulted in finding that the Stag LPK mirrors the Noveske LPK almost exactly (Produced by the same manufacturer (CMT), to similar tolerances). If you remember a few months ago in the big panic when folks were worried that the political climate was changing, it was near impossible to source a LPK. At about 60 bucks for this set there isn't any good reason why you shouldn't have one on hand to match your lower.

Lots of little parts, little parts that fly, bounce or otherwise escape when you try to install them... It's funny that all the install guides say you should put these together in a well lit, clean, tidy space, and my home wasn't built with not even one of these aforementioned rooms.

I can put the lower together on the bench without a jig or vise setup, but the upper needs to be held tightly to install the barrel. we'll see how I like this one after I get an upper and barrel combo.

AR-15 Wrench, 25 bucks... lets hope it does what I need it to do...

Pick up a lower while you can, it never hurts to have a few in the back of your safe. In hard times they trade at well above their purchase price, and if you get bored you can build a rifle in your spare time. People are rapidly forgetting the big panic a few months ago. That panic turned out to be all for nothing, but a lower saved is a rifle earned in the next panic.

Light Weight AR-15 Setup (On a Budget)

I've had my eye on an AR-15 for a while now, I love my Robinson Armament XCR-L's, but they just don't have the same amount of customization available that an AR-15 does. I picked up interesting mixed AR-15 at the end of the summer and I've been slowly adding parts and pieces.

This article is focused on making a quality rifle on a budget, I've tried to purchase upgrades and accessories piecemeal to keep the initial costs low, if you're like me, you don't have the cash on hand to be buying top tier AR-15 rifles, and while tactical operator setups are cool in magazines, in the real world you pay to play. 

Lets start with a through run-down of the specs...

- Bushmaster upper, barrel, and bolt assembly 

      - 14.5 inch barrel with a permanently fixed AK-74 style muzzle brake

-  BCM Gunfighter Mod 4 charging handle 

- Stag Arms STAG-15 lower

- Magpul MOE: stock, carbine length handguard, pistol grip, trigger guard, BAD lever, MBUIS rear sight, scout light mount, and MS3 QD Sling.

- Noveske QD end plate

The AK-74 style muzzle brake on a 14.5 inch barrel is almost perfect, there are better brake options on the market, such as the Battlecomp on my XCR's, but this tried and true design borrowed from the AK-74 weapons system is quite adequate. I've been tempted to have it removed and a more Tacti-cool brake installed, but I can't find anything wrong with the AK-74 style brake, it isn't obnoxiously loud, it controls muzzle rise well, and the flash is tolerable. Why mess with something that already works.  

The overall length of this gun makes it a very compact package, coupled with its light weight, it's almost a pleasure to carry around. I still need to add an optic and flash light, but I doubt that either of those will tip the scales towards heavy or unwieldy.

I like the BAD Lever in that it allows me to use many of the same methods that I employ with the XCR's. Index finger up for bold hold back and down for charging. I think Magpul puts out an attractive and functional product and you really can't beat the price point, plus almost everything they offer is easily removable if you decide you don't like the setup. (Note: internet forums offer a host of people who enjoy trading parts and pieces, if you have something that you've removed from your gun, odds are there is someone who would pay or trade for it)

The MS3 Quick Detach Sling is the best sling I own, I have a MS2 and a Gear Sector Quick Detach Sling, which also function great, but I like the feel of the MS3 and I like the option to transition to a two point sling if necessary. The single point sling is great for having the rifle at the ready, but when I need the rifle in arms reach, so I can use both hands, the single point sling leaves my muzzle exposed to pogo-ing in the dirt if I'm not careful.

Magpul MBUIS are another good option for a lightweight cost effective setup. I'll eventually get around to buying an Aimpoint for this rifle and these back up sights co-witness with my fixed front sight post for use in the meantime.

The BCM Gunfighter Mod 4 is a nice to have feature. You can do perfectly fine with the standard charging handle, the BCM just allows you to better charge the rifle with the pinch method using your support hand. It is a closer match to how I run my XCR's and keeping my movements similar is important to me when I train on different weapons platforms. (Note: The castle nut has not been staked at this point)

I've been researching handguard options, and while I would love to make the forward handguard free float with a 13 inch Troy rail, I don't see the cost benefit. This rifle is not a precision rifle setup, and I doubt that I will gain anything from chopping the front sight block and installing a free float tube. I'm trying to keep costs low on this setup, and for a future AR-15 style rifle I may go the free float route, but for now all I need is the Magpul carbine length handguards.

Note: Don't be an internet commando or arm-chair ranger, too many people on the net show rifles that are overly expensive, seldom used and Tacti-cool. Not everyone has a defense contractor budget for gear and guns, buy what you can when you can, and always be on the look-out for deals on lightly used quality equipment. I've posted this picture of my scout light mount without a scout light because I won't pay full price for a flashlight that will spend 95 percent of it's time sitting in the safe. A good deal will come along and I'll make due until then.

This Quick Detach mount is Noveske, but it cost the same as any other mount. I think this single mount is an attractive high speed, low drag solution, all my rifles have QD rear mounts so I can use the same sling hardware for every rifle. (The standard end plate that I removed can be traded or sold along with the old handguards, pistol grip, charging handle, etc, etc, to offset the cost of new additions)

I've tried to keep from going overboard with this rifle, right now it's mostly a range gun with a few trips out to the woods every now and then. I'm not replacing my XCR's as my go-to rifles, but I like the accessorizing that can be done with an AR-15 and the light weight makes me think twice about the monolithic upper and piston driven system of the Robinson Design.

Start with a good quality stock rifle, add the parts that you want when you're able, sell/trade your excess parts and in no time you'll have a really handy rifle that looks sharp as well.

Benchmade 940 Osborne and 3350 Mini-Infidel

A Tale of Two Benchmades'

My EDC 940 Osborne and the 3350 Mini-Infidel

We'll start by discussing my 940 Osborne Axis Folder, I've had it for almost 8 years and it has been in my pockets from the shores of Thailand to the mountains of North Carolina. It's seen use almost every day for any task imaginable... to include minor surgery... (I'll spare the details, but suffice to say that it's sharp enough to get the job done)

The stainless blade has cut more apples than I care to remember, and as a single bladed pocket knife it has been worth every penny over the last few years. I find that a slim smaller knife that excels at mundane tasks is of more importance to me than a large hefty tactical knife. I don't doubt that I could use the 940 for self defense, but I have had much more opportunity to cut boxes rather than defend myself from roving gangs of knife wielding bandits, besides I like to adhere to the old adage of "bringing a gun to a knife fight". 

The Axis Lock is a very nice design, most locking folding knives need a total of 3 contact points to remain solid, the Axis system uses 2 and still maintains a rock steady lock. I find the lock smooth and fast to operate with one hand. 

I like a smooth blade rather than serrated. The thinking goes thus: A dull serrated blade is better than a dull straight blade, but a sharp straight blade is equal or better than a sharp serrated blade and I keep my blade sharp. I can sharpen a straight blade on any whetstone, but I would need special tools to sharpen a serrated blade. A straight blade is better at delicate work, carving, slicing, and scraping, where a serrated blade is best at quick rough work. sawing and slashing. If you plan to cut seat belts or rope all the time serrated works well, but I don't suggest you use the serrated blade for filleting fish, or slicing vegetables. I tend to use my knife for a lot of mundane everyday tasks, if you fast rope out of helicopters for a living your choice may vary. 

The drop point design is handy and I like a knife with a little bit of belly before the tip. I like the crisp edges on the back of the knife blade, they work great as a scraper, and while it may scar up the titanium scales on the sides, the back of the knife opens a bottle with no issue. 

The only thing I don't like about this knife is that it won't wear out, I'm at 8 years of daily use and it still keeps cutting. I would like to try some shiny new designs... but I can't as long as this knife is still so serviceable. With the addition of the Mini-Infidel OTF knife to my daily use I won't be retiring my 940 anytime soon, but I may regulate it's use to at work and keep the Infidel for those more dressy occasions. 

The Mini-Infidel is an OTF knife (Out the Front), it is double bladed and features the same bomb proof titanium side scales as my 940. This is my first OTF knife and I can't really compare it to any of the other OTF knife makers, but you can rest assured that this knife carries that impeccable Benchmade quality standard. 

I like the push button out and push button in, I think I had a blister on my finger the first week from popping it in and out so many times. It's a new concept to get used to and you'll be tempted to rely on old muscle memory and fold the blade the way you would a traditional folding knife, don't make that mistake! The dagger blade is soul cutting sharp.

This blade is D2 rather than stainless, so ensure that you keep it oiled regularly, I'm a bit more carefree with my 940, but I make sure that the Infidel is clean before returning it to my pocket. I don't find this knife very useful in my daily tasks, IE. cutting my apple for lunch or carving a stick to roast a marshmallow, but I also don't carry this knife everywhere I go, I reserve it's use for special occasions when I'll likely be in a more gentlemanly role... you get the idea.

This knife is a serious piece of kit, it's scary fast in and out and I'd say it would hold it's own in a knife fight, if you're so inclined to those types of encounters, and I like the slick understated appearance. This knife means business and is a real tool rather than a display piece. This knife is more Steve McQueen rather than Stone Cold Steve Austin. I won't use this knife in daily carry but just like a tuxedo, or fine watch, this knife has its place. 

The blade is solid with very little play or wiggle, I am enthralled by the ability to pop it in and out and I have so far resisted the urge to disassemble this knife and see what makes it tick. Some would say "It's just a knife!" and I'd say "Jealous much!"